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THE Secret Service has paid tribute to former President Jimmy Carter after the Carter Center announced on Saturday that he will receive hospice care.

The Carter Center said in a formal statement on Twitter: "After a series of short hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention."

Over the weekend, Jimmy Carter's niece, LeAnne Smith, revealed she believes the former president "still has some time" left.

The Mayo Clinic says that hospice care is an option for those who are reaching the end of their lives.

A group of medical experts who specialize in providing these services work to maximize comfort for terminally ill patients by minimizing discomfort and attending to their physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs.

The goal of hospice care, in contrast to other medical treatments, is not to cure the underlying illness. For as long as feasible, the aim is to ensure the maximum quality of life, per the medical website.

Jimmy Carter, who is 98 years old, is the oldest US president in history. He overcame metastatic brain cancer, and numerous health concerns, including a 2019 fall that required brain surgery.

Read our Jimmy Carter live blog for the latest news and updates...

  • Jimmy Carter 'still got some time in him', niece claims

    The niece of Jimmy Carter, 98, has revealed she believes he still has time, following a "good day" where he talked and ate.

    "He had a good day... He's still got some time in him. I just feel like it," LeAnne Smith said on Sunday.

    Carter became the 39th president of the United States in 1977 and held the position until 1981.

  • Honoring Carter for 'his selfless service to humanity'

    On Monday, every member of the Atlanta City Council voted in favor of a resolution commemorating and appreciating former President Jimmy Carter for "his selfless service to humanity," the AJC reported.

    After the Carter Center announced over the weekend that the former president had elected to come home and receive hospice care after a string of hospital stints, the gesture was a part of an outpouring of well wishes for Carter and his family.

    The resolution's author, Councilman Michael Julian Bond, said he wanted the body to publicly thank the Georgia native for his lifetime of public service.

    “He is really a living example of what it means to be an earnest, devoted public servant,” Bond said.

    “He’s served not only America well as a veteran, as a policymaker, but even as a greater role as a citizen.”

  • Plains, Georgia getting more tourism after news of Carter's condition spread

    As the birthplace of former President Jimmy Carter, Plains has long been a popular tourist destination.

    Nevertheless, right now, the town is busier than usual, WALB reported.

    Shop owners claimed that since The Carter Center reported that Carter had entered hospice home care, tourism had increased.

    They said that they are making every effort to inform people about his legacy.

  • Georgia shows support for Jimmy Carter, continued

    Dr Martin Luther King, Jr served alongside his father as co-pastor of the venerable church.

    Churchgoers considered Carter's connections to that history as they observed Black History Month.

    "President Carter streams Ebenezer every Sunday, so President Carter if you are streaming this day, know that our prayers are with you, we love you, and hang in there," Executive Pastor Dr. John H. Vaughn said from the pulpit, according to CBS News.

  • Georgia shows support for Jimmy Carter

    During his health battle, Georgia residents are supporting the former president, particularly the historic Black churches and towns that are honoring his achievements to the civil rights movement.

    After discovering that Carter had decided to undergo hospice care at his home in Plains, members of Ebenezer Baptist Church offered prayers and words of support to him at this Sunday morning service.

    Jason Carter, Jimmy Carter's grandson, attended the church service as Ebenezer expressed its support for the oldest living former president of the US, who turned 98 in October.

    "We love him, and we're praying for him, and he's done so much," said church member Joyce Peacock to CBS News.

  • Making a conservation mark in the Oval Office

    Carter, who served as the 39th president of the US from 1977 to 1981, hung an Alaska map in the Oval Office.

    It was here that he left the most imprint on conservation when, in 1978, he used his executive power to declare 56million acres to be federally protected under the 1906 Antiquities Act, according to the Washington Post.

    That was the largest area of public property that any president in American history had set aside as being off-limits to development at the time, which sparked fervent local objections.

    Carter also signed legislation securing more than 100million acres of Alaskan territory weeks before he left office.

    Carter will “go down, along with people like Theodore Roosevelt and [Franklin D. Roosevelt], as one of the greatest conservation presidents or environmental presidents of all time,” said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historianat Rice University, in a phone interview per the Washington Post.

  • Carter pardoned those who avoided the Vietnam draft

    Many young men avoided the draft for the Vietnam War during its height, some for moral reasons and some for less honorable ones.

    Early on in the invasion, hysteria and propaganda associated with the Cold War dominated political discourse, but as young Americans started to return home in huge numbers with body bags, the mood changed.

    Carter signed an executive order on his second day in office that pardoned anybody who had opted out of the draft for whatever reason.

    This was not only a very significant symbolic act, but it also represented Carter's softer political stance in contrast to the tough-minded Nixon administration and Ford's years of political bumbling.

  • Bringing solar panels to the White House

    Even while Carter may not have been aware of the extent of the potential damage, he was aware of the value of energy efficiency from his work on his father's and then his own farm.

    As a result, he installed solar panels in the White House, sparking a discussion about renewable energy and environmental issues that had previously not occurred in America, per WeGotThisCovered.

    The panels were later removed by the Reagan administration, a forerunner of the Republican instinct for theater that appeals to a fervent base but accomplishes nothing worthwhile.

    Reagan also slashed funding for renewable energy research at the request of wealthy donors who were deeply invested in fossil fuels, which further stalled the conversation on climate change.

  • Jimmy Carter's new Department of Education in the 70s

    Although public education had been there in the US for a while, it was chaotic, and President Carter wanted the federal government to take the initiative in setting guidelines and standards.

    He divided the existing Department of Health, Education, and Welfare into two new departments.

    He hoped the new department would still provide states control over matters like curriculum while enabling the federal government to "meet its responsibilities in education more effectively, more efficiently, and more responsively," WeGotThisCovered shared.

    The agency is still active today, bringing essential topics to the public's attention and ensuring that schools receive funding.

  • Those included in a hospice care team

    If you are not getting care at a hospice-specific facility, hospice professionals will visit you frequently in your home or another location.

    A hospice employee is available every day of the week, round the clock.

    Typically, according to Mayo Clinic, a hospice care team consists of:

    • Doctors
    • Nurses
    • Home health aides
    • Spiritual counselors
    • Social workers
    • Pharmacists
    • Volunteers
    • Other professionals
    • Bereavement counselors

  • Where one can receive hospice

    The majority of hospice care is given at home, usually by a family member who also serves as the patient's primary caretaker, according to Mayo Clinic.

    Hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living institutions, and specific hospice facilities all offer hospice care, though.

    No matter where hospice care is offered, hospital admission is occasionally required.

    For instance, a hospital stay could be required if a symptom can't be controlled by the hospice care team at home.

    Former President Jimmy Carter elected to receive hospice care at home.

  • Who can benefit from hospice care

    A terminally sick individual who is anticipated to have six months or fewer to live receives hospice care, the Mayo Clinic says.

    Nonetheless, hospice care can be given as long as the patient's physician and the hospice care team vouch that the disease continues to be life-limiting.

    The majority of hospice patients have cancer, although other conditions such as heart disease, dementia, kidney failure, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease also affect hospice patients.

    Early hospice care enrollment improves and lengthens your quality of life.

    Hospice care lessens the strain on the family, lowers the risk that the family may experience complicated grieving, and helps family members get ready for their loved one's passing, per the Mayo Clinic.

  • What hospice care means

    The Mayo Clinic says that hospice care is an option for those who are reaching the end of their lives.

    A group of medical experts who specialize in providing these services work to maximize comfort for terminally ill patients by minimizing discomfort and attending to their physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs.

    The goal of hospice care, in contrast to other medical treatments, is not to cure the underlying illness.

    For as long as feasible, the aim is to ensure the maximum quality of life, per the medical website.

  • 'Taking shots' at Jimmy Carter is 'a choice'

    Many supporters have taken to Twitter to criticize US Congressman Richard Hudson for the tweet he posted and then deleted that included a wisecrack about Jimmy Carter's condition.

    One person said: "Taking shots at a 98 year old former president currently in hospice care is …. a choice."

    A second user tweeted: "There's a zero percent chance that Richard Hudson doesn't know that President Carter is in hospice care, and still he felt these were the "wise words" to share today.

    "This is the confidence and cruelty that only extreme partisan gerrymandering can provide."

  • US Congressman Richard Hudson deletes tweet

    Less than two days after Carter's family revealed that he was in hospice, US Rep. Richard Hudson's campaign Twitter account poked fun at former president Jimmy Carter by posting a famous joke about the well-known humanitarian.

    Former President Ronald Reagan was referenced on social media for his 1980 campaign against Jimmy Carter.

    WCNC reposted his tweet: "Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his."

    The post was "a staff-scheduled tweet prior to news of President Carter's health," according to a representative for Hudson, who later ordered its removal.

    The spokesman wrote in an email, according to WCNC: "The campaign regrets the error.

  • Carter's St Louis visit in 1979

    Jimmy Carter traveled from Minneapolis to St Louis on the Delta Queen for a week with his family, including his wife Rosalynn and daughter Amy, to take a vacation and promote his energy program in the midst of the 1979 energy crisis.

    Carter was reportedly jogging circles about the deck, chatting with passengers, and waving at people on passing boats during his long cruise on the muddy Mississippi River aboard the antique sternwheel steamer, according to a Washington Post article dated August 19, 1979.

    The president spoke to the citizens gathered at the river's bank at St Louis after the ship had anchored there.

    He reflected lovingly on the Mississippi route and congratulated the 10millionth person to climb the Gateway Arch.

  • The Carter Center's conflict mediation

    The Carter Center has engaged in mediation in the below conflicts, according to the organization's website,

    • Ethiopia and Eritrea - 1989
    • North Korea - 1994
    • Liberia - 1994
    • Haiti - 1994
    • Bosnia - 1994
    • Sudan - 1995
    • Venezuela - 2002-2003
    • The Middle East - 2003-present
    • Nepal - 2004-2008
    • Mali - 2018-present

    In addition to the above international conflicts, The Carter Center also participated in 113 election-observation missions.

  • Admirers think of Jimmy Carter

    Admirers of the former president continue to post on social media that they are thinking of him, especially on Presidents Day.

  • Jimmy Carter's net worth

    Jimmy Carter has an estimated net worth of $10 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

    When he was president between 1977 and 1981, Carter earned $200,000 per year, which was the standard salary. As a former president, Carter earns an annual pension of $207,800.

    This is the same as $1.4 million in today’s dollars because of inflation. 

    Currently, United States presidents earn $400,000.

    Additionally, he is paid $150,000 per year for a full-staff of Secret Service protection.

  • Senator Raphael Warnock honors Carter

    Senator Raphael Warnock has taken to Twitter to honor former President Jimmy Carter.

    He tweeted: "Across life’s seasons, President Jimmy Carter, a man of great faith, has walked with God. In this tender time of transitioning, God is surely walking with him.

    May he, Rosalynn & the entire Carter family be comforted with that peace and surrounded by our love & prayers."

  • Burial arrangements made

    Carter has made plans to be buried in a spot in front of his Plains, Georgia home following his health scares in the past.

    On April 29, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited the Carters.

  • Jimmy Carter's work with Habitat for Humanity

    President Carter and his wife Rosalynn were active with Habitat for Humanity.

    They created the Jimmy Carter Work Project (later renamed the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project) which resulted in thousands of homes.

    More than 104,000 volunteers worked on the project across the U.S and in 14 countries, resulting in 4,390 homes, per the organization.

  • Habitat for Humanity releases statement

    Jimmy Carter was active with Habitat for Humanity after his presidency and even helped build houses for the organization into his 90s.

    The organization's statement read: "All of us at Habitat for Humanity are lifting up President and Mrs. Carter in prayer as he enters hospice care.

    We pray for his comfort and for their peace, and that the Carter family experiences the joy of their relationships with each other and with God in this time."

  • Video goes viral of Carter on commercial flight

    A video has gone viral of Jimmy Carter flying commercial and greeting every passenger on board.

    Many are inspired by the post and have taken to the comments to praise the former president.

    One comment read: "Class, compassion, integrity. Always stayed humble and true. One helluva man, who exemplifies what a politician should be. We can count on one hand, two max, those in his league."

    Another added: "One of the greatest Presidents of all time because he truly devoted his Presidency to helping people have better lives. He then went on and continued doing this for the remainder of his life."

  • Jimmy Carter's terms in public office

    Jimmy Carter served his term as the 39th President of the US from 1977 to 1981.

    Before his presidency, Carter served as a Georgia State Senator from 1963 to 1967. Subsequently, he became the 76th Governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975.

    In the final year of his presidency, he was faced with the Iran Hostage Crisis. This seems to have contributed to his failed re-election bid, which saw him serve only one four-year term in office.